Obsessed with a High-Ranking Esper (BL)-Chapter 154: Jian Ci being reckless

He scanned the terrain, his senses stretching until he caught the psychic signature. His lips curled. "Got you."

Into the comms, his voice rang out. "Everyone, be in position."

The team moved reluctantly, while Alarna tilted her head up at him. A sinister plan crept into her mind. She wanted to play the damsel, to let Jian Ci swoop in like a knight in shining armour.

Unaware of Alarna’s Jian Ci hovered above the cave of the Vulkrith, his violet eyes glowing with anticipation as the molten air shimmered around him. Below, Riley and Alarna leapt from one jagged boulder to the next, their movements sharp and calculated. They stopped at a distance just close enough to provoke the beast, yet far enough to retreat if things went wrong. Together, they unleashed a surge of psychic power into the cave’s mouth.

The response was immediate. The Vulkrith sensed the disturbance, and its bellow shook the ground like thunder. The calm pool of lava rippled violently, bubbles bursting as the molten surface grew agitated. The beast attacked before even revealing its face, sending a wave of psychic force outward.

Riley reacted instantly, stepping back to safety. Alarna, however, was a fraction slower. The force struck her hard, pushing her over the edge of the lava field.

Jian Ci’s hand flickered, his dazzling violet gaze locking onto her. With a burst of psychic strength, he hurled her back to solid ground—no cushion, no gentleness, just raw force. Alarna grimaced, pain flashing across her features.

Her eyes met Leane’s, who stared at her knowingly, gaze sharp as if to say I know your secret. Alarna forced an innocent expression, but she knew both Leane and Jian Ci had seen through her act.

Jian Ci’s voice cut through the comms, cold and commanding. "If you can’t do it, just get out of the way."

Normally, Alarna wouldn’t care if someone dismissed her. But coming from Jian Ci, the words burned. Her face flushed with embarrassment

It was an error on her part.

Fortunately, the Vulkrith chose that moment to emerge, its massive form rising from the lava, and all eyes turned to the beast. Her misstep was forgotten, swallowed by the chaos of battle.

The Vulkrith erupted from the lava pool in a storm of molten fury, obsidian wings unfurling with a psychic screech that split the sky. Its third eye pulsed with searing light, and the air warped around it as it prepared to unleash another mindquake roar. But before it could strike—

Jian Ci dropped from above.

He landed hard on the beast’s back, violet psychic energy flaring around him like a storm given form. The Vulkrith roared, the sound so deep it rattled the bones of the earth. Lava surged and boiled violently beneath them, geysers of flame erupting in protest. With a beat of its wings, the beast launched skyward, twisting and thrashing to dislodge its rider.

But Jian Ci clung on like a leech, his fingers buried in the beast’s molten scales, his aura flaring brighter with every second. The wind howled past as they soared, the forest below a blur. The Vulkrith spun, dove, spiraled—but Jian Ci’s grip never faltered. His violet aura surged, wild and untamed, like a beast finally unchained.

Then the Vulkrith faltered.

Its wounds, though healing rapidly, bled molten ichor from the gash Jian Ci had carved on its flank. With a final, furious shriek, it plummeted, crashing through the treetops in a storm of fire and shattered wood. Jian Ci was thrown, tumbling through the air before stabbing his psychic blade into the earth to halt his momentum. The ground cracked beneath him, steam hissing from the scorched soil.

He rose slowly, eyes glowing, lips curled into a wicked grin. "Come on," he growled, voice low and feral. "Let’s finish this."

The Vulkrith rose from the wreckage, wings tattered, body reforming in bursts of lava and ash. It roared again, shaking the forest, but Jian Ci was already moving. He darted forward, blade flashing, dodging molten tendrils and psychic blasts. The beast tried to phase, but Jian Ci’s mind locked onto its tether. He struck with precision, exploiting the moment its regeneration lagged.

With a final, brutal slash, he drove his blade into the glowing seam beneath its third eye—the core of its power.

The Vulkrith convulsed, let out one last, shuddering roar, and collapsed. Its body crumbled into cooling slag and ash.

Jian Ci stood over it, chest heaving, violet energy crackling around him. But something was wrong. The glow had darkened—tainted. It pulsed erratically, crawling up his arms like ink in water. He didn’t notice. Not yet.

Then there was a crunch. it was boots on dead branches.

Jian Ci spun, blade raised, eyes wild. For a moment, he didn’t recognize the figures emerging from the smoke. It was his team their weapons drawn and faces tense.

His communicator beeped sharply—WARNING: PSYCHIC CORRUPTION DETECTED.

The sound cut through the haze. Jian Ci blinked, breath catching. He lowered his blade, trembling, forcing the darkness back down.

"Shit," he rasped, though his voice was hoarse and his aura still flickered with something wrong.

His voice soon cut through the silence, sharp but steady. "Is everyone okay?"

The team, weary yet obedient, answered in unison. "Yeah, we’re okay."

"Good. Let’s move to the next supply station." He turned, his aura heavy and unapproachable, the kind of presence that discouraged anyone from stepping too close.

Alarna, however, lingered behind him, her eyes narrowing with concern. She could see it—he wasn’t alright. His violet-glowing eyes betrayed the storm raging inside him. Jian Ci needed guidance, but he would never ask for it. If she didn’t take the initiative, he would suffer consequences that could spiral out of control.

She followed, daring where others would not. "Team leader," she said carefully, "you should probably get some guidance. I can call Leane."

Jian Ci didn’t even slow his stride. His eyes still burned dark violet, but his voice was dismissive. "No need." He walked away, leaving her behind.

Once ahead of the team, Jian Ci slipped into solitude. He pulled out the injector and pressed it to his neck. This was the third suppressant he had taken today. His recklessness was catching up to him, gnawing at the edges of his control.

The needle pierced, and within seconds the chaotic storm in his mind receded. His breath steadied, his eyes dimmed back to normal. He sighed, feeling more like himself again.

By the time they reached the supply station, Jian Ci wasted no time. He grabbed three bottles of his sweet nutrient supplements and guzzled them down before tearing into his snacks, each dripping with sugar.

The others stared, shocked. Espers rarely touched sweets, yet Jian Ci devoured them with fervor, as though his very survival depended on their sweetness.